


Dizzy Silver Lights

by therumandcokediaries



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alcohol, Clubbing, Confusion, Consent Issues, Early Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, bedroom stuff, relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 22:05:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14882078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therumandcokediaries/pseuds/therumandcokediaries
Summary: As promised this is my oneshot for lokislonelylady for correctly guessing the connection between the chapter titles in Called To Be A Rock, i.e. they’re all derived from songs performed by Mumford and Sons! I had a lot to write so this is unfortunately seriously long! Still, I hope you enjoy it, and, as always, comments/questions/reviews are welcome!Description: It’s early days for Tony and Loki. Love confessed, relationship official, they are gradually settling in to their romance, getting to know the ins and outs of each others minds. Tony suggests a totally foreign concept to Loki, which ends up being very popular: clubbing. Long nights pave a way to new experiences and discoveries for both of them.





	Dizzy Silver Lights

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lokislonelylady](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lokislonelylady/gifts).



-

**The First Time**

Loki raised an eyebrow. 

“Don’t give me that look! It’ll be fun, I swear” Tony said. “Nightclubs are great”

Loki wasn’t convinced. He wasn’t entirely sure what a nightclub even  _was_ , but the impression he got - of a group of people getting together to discuss, well,  _nighttime_  - didn’t exactly tempt him. 

“I think I’ll pass”

“No, come on, you’ll love it! Come round to mine this evening, around eight o’ clock. We can get ready together”

Loki sighed, setting his cup down on the metal table. He didn’t want to, but Tony looked so enthusiastic about it. 

“Fine”

Tony grinned. “Good” he made eye contact with the waitress, making the universal hand gesture asking for the bill. “You’re gonna love it”

-

Loki turned up at Tony’s at eight o’ clock on the dot. Tony gave him a big hug and dragged him inside.

“C’mon, c’mon, I’ve got you a great new outfit: you’re gonna look fab”

Loki followed him to the bedroom obediently. He looked at the outfit Tony had laid out for him. The black jeans, black blazer, and white t-shirt were all well and good, but the shoes were the real star of the show: a pair of black and white Oxford brogues, pristine and perfect and statement in every way. Loki picked up one shoe, getting a proper look at it.

“Wow. I like these”

“I thought you would” Tony grinned. 

He switched on the CD player, loading a CD and hitting play. He saw Loki watching him.

“80s music. It’ll set the mood” 

Loki raised an eyebrow. 

“Stop giving me that look! C’mon: civvies off, glad-rags on, ok?”

Loki shook his head, but did as he was told. He took his time a bit undoing his shirt, turning his back on Tony and shrugging it off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. Tony grabbed him by the belt loops, pulling his hips back against his own.

“You’re teasing me”

“Well, maybe just a little” 

Tony grinned, taking it upon himself to undo Loki’s belt and trousers. Loki let him do it, stepping out of them and turning back to Tony, who pushed him down on the bed. He stood back, looking at him.

“Now, this really is  _quite_ the look” he said. “If I hadn’t already bought the outfit, I’d be tempted to back out of the plans”

Loki looked again at his new clothes. “Do people really get so dressed up to go to these ‘night clubs’?”

“Oh yeah, totally. Nights out can be a pretty big deal” Tony saw the look on Loki’s face. “Oh wait, you don’t know what a nightclub really is, do you?”

“Not really”

“Aw heck. Ok, so they’re basically clubs that open at night”

“That hasn’t really helped”

“Hm. Right, so nightclubs are where people go to have fun. Mostly they have bars and dancefloors, lots of music and drinks, and they’re dark. Like, there’s  _some_ lighting, mainly strobe and stage, and low lights over the bar. They stay open late, really late, and people just spend hours there, drinking and meeting people and stuff. They’re a good laugh”

Loki understood now, but he wasn’t really convinced that he’d enjoy it. 

“Don’t look so sceptical. You’ll enjoy it, I swear. We’ll be open about it, ok? So if people want to kiss, you can do it, if you want”

“Why would people want to kiss?”

“You can be really naive sometimes” Tony shook his head fondly. “It happens under the lights, honestly”

“I’m still not sure about this”

“So humour me” Tony said. “There’s two places I want to try. And if you really hate it, we’ll call it a night and come back. Deal?”

Loki nodded. “Fine. Deal”

-

Loki looked at himself in the mirror once he’d gotten dressed.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Yeah, you look great! Just need a few finishing touches. Give your hair another quick brush, yeah?”

Loki did as he was asked, and then let Tony take over. Tony was grinning all over his face, already excited. He found a thick white leather belt with a large silver buckle in his drawer, which he secured round Loki’s waist. Next he found a chain necklace for him to wear, and started adjusting Loki’s appearance, undoing his blazer and tucking his t-shirt into his jeans. He stood back, admiring his own handiwork.

“Nice! Very dapper. Now, just a bit of this” he squirted Loki with white musk. “Oh yeah, we’re looking brilliant! Selfie”

Loki obliged him his photo request. When Tony was happy, he pocketed his phone, switched off the CD player, and grabbed Loki’s hand. 

“Ready, my little Loki-iced-lolly?”

“As I’ll ever be”

-

Loki scrutinised the cocktail menu. 

“How much more do you get in a pitcher? Is that for one person?”

“They tend to be sharers” Tony said. “It’s basically a jug. You can have one to yourself if you like, but we’re just using this place as a warm-up” 

Loki read through the choices again. “What’s your favourite?”

“Hm? Oh, I don’t know. You choose: I’m fine with anything. As long as it’s not got coconut in it. Can’t be doing with boozy coconut” 

“I don’t think any of these have coconut”

Tony looked at the menu. “How about a mojito?”

“Ew, no. I had one of them before, and it was full of bits. It was more bits than drink. It was vile”

Tony laughed at him. “Hurry up and chose: I don’t want to be here all night”

Loki was finding it hard to decide. Tony was starting to get impatient. 

“Some time today would be nice”

Loki glared at him, shoving the menu in his direction and jabbing his finger at one of the cocktails. “That one”

“Right, thank you very much, Captain Slow” he closed the menu, hitting Loki on the nose with it. “Wait here for me”

He went over to the bar, and Loki glared daggers at his back, suddenly feeling pretty pissed off. He rested his elbow on the table, resting his cheek in his hand. He looked round, soon spotting a very pretty blonde a couple of tables away. He watched her for a while. She was small and giggly, blushing and covering her face at something her friends were saying. Loki couldn’t help smiling as he watched her: she was very cute. She soon caught him looking, and he turned his head away quickly. 

Loki kept his gaze turned down, not daring look at anyone else. He saw a pair of strappy sandles enter his vision, and someone climbed up onto the bar stool next to him. He looked up, a little surprised to see the blonde. She smiled at him.

“Hey there” The Australian accent in her voice was subtle but easily identifiable. 

“You’re very cute” Loki said, looking at her. She didn’t seem so small now.

She blushed. “Thank you. You’re cute too”

Loki couldn’t help smiling too, turning away for a moment. 

“You’re not here alone, are you? Pretty thing like you?”

Loki looked at her. “No, um, I’m here with my... friend”

The blonde nodded. “Stuck at the bar, is he? It’s always so busy here. The trick is to do a big order at the bar so you don’t have to spend the entire night stuck in the queue”

“We’re not staying long. We’re just here for... pre-drinks, he called it? I’m not really sure what that means”

“Oooh. Pre-drinks are kinda like, drinks that you have at the start of a night out to get yourself tipsy before you move on to the main part of your night” she explained. “A bit like a warm up”

“Oh. I understand now”

She moved her stool closer, resting her elbow on the table and her head in her hand, mirroring Loki. 

“How old are you?”

“Well, how old do you think I am?” 

She looked at him for a moment. “I’d say about mid-twenties”

“You’d be about right” Loki replied. 

He found himself edging closer to her. She’d looked so nervous when he was watching her, but she didn’t seem so shy now. 

“I don’t see many men like you around” she said. “So many men are loud and brash and forceful. I think you’re different”

“You’re different too. A lot of women have such don’t-fuck-with-me looks about them. They’re beautiful, of course, but as much as I love a woman who could utterly destroy me, I think there’s something enticing about softer ones too”

They’d somehow moved even closer, their noses just barely touching. Loki looked into her big blue eyes. His heart thumped in his chest. He wanted to kiss her.

“Sorry about that” Tony set a jug and two glasses down on the table, forcing the pair to jump apart. “Queue was mental”

The blonde’s attention turned, and she looked at Tony open-mouthed, jumping down from the bar stool.

“I know you! You’re Tony Stark!”

Tony smiled at her. “I am indeed”

“I can’t believe it’s really you!” She looked at Loki. “You didn’t say your friend was  _Tony Stark_ ”

Loki didn’t have a chance to respond before the blonde was back talking to Tony. She grabbed her phone from her bag. 

“Hey, can I grab a selfie?”

Tony laughed. “Sure” 

She giggled, cuddling up to Tony, who put his arm round her while she took a few quick photos. She lowered her phone, stepping away and looking at the results. 

“I love it! Thanks so much, Tony! I’d better be getting back to my friends now!”

She gave Tony a quick, excited hug, and bounded off to rejoin her group.

Just like that, Loki had been forgotten about.

-

Loki sat nursing his drink, feeling sorry for himself. 

“This was a good choice” Tony said, already on his second glass. “What’s up? Don’t you like it?”

“It’s not that” he set the glass down.

“Then what?”

He swallowed. “I thought she liked me...”

Tony laughed at him. “Loki, she was absolutely pissed. She’s probably the sort of drunk who makes friends with anyone”

Loki glared at him. He couldn’t help feeling Tony had stolen his thunder. 

“Oooh, you liked her, didn’t you?” Tony laughed again. 

“It’s not funny!” Loki turned his back on him.

Tony set his own glass down and stood up, going round and taking Loki’s face in his hands.

“You can’t take it personally” 

Loki pushed his hands away. 

“Hey, don’t be so sensitive. You’ll meet plenty more drunk blondes, I assure you” he went to kiss him, but Loki gave him a proper shove. 

Tony grabbed Loki’s stool, spinning it back the right way. He forced Loki’s glass into his hand. 

“Get that down you and stop being so silly” 

“I want to go home”

“Loki, we’ve been here for literally half an hour” he sat back with his own glass.

Loki took a proper mouthful of his drink. It was surprisingly good. He downed it, and poured himself another one. Tony nodded approvingly. 

-

They bought another one of the same, and Loki started to feel a better with a few units inside him. He started talking to Tony again, and they were quite deep in conversation when Loki felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to find out who it belonged to. A large lady with sleeve tattoos looked at him.

“Hey, have you got a lighter?”

“What?”

“He doesn’t smoke, sorry” Tony answered for him. 

“Ah well, thanks anyway” she went off to ask someone else. 

“That was weird”

“Was it? People do ask for lighters, y’know” 

“Why did she ask me?”

Tony shrugged. “I don’t know. Here, lets finish the rest of this pitcher. It’s getting on for ten now” 

“Oh, are we calling it a night then?”

“Uh, no! We’ve only just come out. No, we’ll head off to this other place soon. It might be more our speed. I don’t know”

Loki nodded, topping up their glasses with the last of the drink in the pitcher. He hoped the next place wouldn’t be so busy: it was terribly crowded here.

-

It had grown dark while they’d been inside. Tony took Loki’s hand as they walked along. 

“I’ve not been to this next one before, so don’t blame me if it’s bad”

Loki stayed quiet, soon spotting a few flags in the near-distance. He glanced at Tony, who was humming softly to himself. They stopped just to the side of the building with the flags. Loki looked at it. It was black aside from event posters along the wall and the rainbow flags flying outside. He looked at the sign. 

“Location...” he looked at Tony.

“It’s a gay bar. I thought it’d be fitting, all things considered”

“Oh” Loki wasn’t sure how to respond. 

Tony squeezed his hand. “Come on. Now or never” 

The bouncers waved them in, and Loki took a moment to look around. It was darker than the PostBox, where they’d just been, and they weren’t rammed in like sardines here either. The music wasn’t as loud and garish either. It felt more comfortable. He was still taking it all in when a girl bounded up to him.

“Oh wow, I love your shoes!”

Loki dropped Tony’s hand. “Oh! Thank you”

“Just this whole look you have going on is mega! I love it!” 

Loki laughed. “Thank you! I like this” he touched her dragon ear cuff.

“Thank you! It was a present” she gave him a hug, which surprised him a bit. “So, what are you?”

“What?”

“What sexuality are you?” she asked, still hanging off his shoulder.

“Oh, um, I’m not really sure”

“Oooh, ok! Well, I’m Pansexual” she held up her hand, showing off her Pansexual flag wrist band. “That’s sexual attraction regardless of gender, ok?”

“Oh” Loki looked at her. “I think I might be that one”

“Nice! Welcome to the club!” she gave him a quick kiss on the lips. 

Loki glanced at Tony. “Hey, do you want a drink? My- my boyfriends buying”

The girl grinned. “Thanks, but I just bought one” She looked over her shoulder at her friend, who was watching patiently and holding a drink in either hand. “I’ll take you up on the offer if I see you later, ‘kay?”

She gave Loki another quick kiss and rejoined her friend, and they disappeared round the corner. 

“Making friends already, eh?” Tony put an arm round Loki’s waist, pulling him over to the bar. “What are you having?”

“Oh, um” he looked at the bartender. “Could I get an amaretto and coke, please?”

“Single or double?” the bartender asked. 

“Oh. Double, please”

The bartender nodded at Tony. “And for you?”

“What have you got on tap?”

Loki wandered off, following the bar round the corner, past the DJ. He looked at the little stage, at the rainbow pillars, at the cocktail slushie machines behind the bar. It was like nowhere he’d ever been. 

-

“Hey, don’t go wandering off like that” Tony said, catching up with him and handing him his drink.

“Sorry. Thanks” he took a sip of his drink, glancing at the doors. “I think there’s another room there”

“Lets go and have a look, shall we?”

Tony pushed open the door. This room was smaller, and brighter, with a pool table in the middle, and a few arcade-type games and a photo booth against the wall. Another door led out to the beer garden. On one side of the room, two large adjoining alcoves were carved out into seating areas. 

A couple of the lads playing pool looked up as they entered, both immediately recognising Tony.

“Ooooh, Iron Man is one of us now!” One of them jeered, but not nastily.

“Who’s the twink?” the other asked.

Loki looked at Tony. “What’s a twink?”

Tony just laughed, taking Loki over to the alcove to sit down. Loki settled against the pillows, taking Tony’s phone from his pocket. 

He looked up ‘Pansexual’ first, quickly deciding that it was a good fit. He looked up ‘twink’ next.

_twink. (twĭngk) Slang. A young, attractive, usually slender or physically fit gay male_

Loki decided to take it as a compliment.

-

They spent a good portion of the night in the alcoves, cuddling up talking and watching the boys playing pool, interrupted only by comfort breaks and Loki’s frequent trips to the bar.

On one such trip, Loki was starting to get very wobbly and giddy, having had quite the skinful by this time. It was much busier now, but he found a spot by the end of the bar the wait. He was trying to focus and remember what Tony wanted, when he felt a hand on his stomach. He turned round, and the man rested his hands on Loki’s hips. 

“Hey there~”

The man was big, taller than Loki, and much broader too. He couldn’t help feeling overshadowed by him. Defenceless, too. 

“You’re a lovely little thing, aren’t you?” he pulled Loki close, one hand splayed over his lower back.

Loki just looked at him, not really understanding what was going on. The strangers hands were big and rough, and Loki wasn’t sure he liked the feel of them. He blinked a bit as the man rubbed their noses together. The man pulled him closer still, grabbing his backside.

“Oh!” Loki gasped.

“You do have a tongue then! Lets see what else it can do”

He kissed him roughly, and when Loki pulled his head away, he moved the hand from his back and grabbed his hair, holding his head still and kissing him with more force. Loki squirmed, and was pushed up against the wall, the man pressing against him, squeezing him roughly, forcing his mouth open and diving in with his tongue. Loki grabbed him by the shoulders, trying to push him away. His pulse and the music were beating in his ears, the DJs lights flashing in his eyes. The man had him pinned so tightly against the wall that it hurt. He couldn’t breathe properly, couldn’t pull away. The man was so rough and insistent, completely ignoring all the signs of distress Loki was giving. He could feel his pulse under the mans fingers. He felt sick. He tried again to push the man away, but couldn’t shift him. He didn’t know what to do.

There was shouting, and suddenly the stranger was pulled away, and Loki fell to the floor. Everything seemed blurry. There was a lot of shouting, and a struggle with the bouncers. One of them broke away, kneeling in front of Loki, blocking his view.

“Hey, are you ok?”

Loki flinched when he went to touch him.

“Hey, hey, you’re ok. I’m not gonna hurt you”

Loki looked at him, recognising him as the bouncer that had let him in. He swallowed and let him help him to his feet. The bouncer kept an arm round him.

“Ok? You’re safe now. You’re with Stark, right? Come on”

-

Tony had gained a friend in the alcove, and was chatting happily to him. He looked up as the door opened, and his face fell when he saw the bouncer, Loki trembling under his arm. 

“Loki?” Tony put his drink down, standing up. “Hey, what’s the matter?”

“Someone tried their luck” the bouncer said. 

The lads playing pool had stopped. One of them turned to the bouncer.

“Was it the ogre?”

The bouncer nodded grimly. The lad sighed sympathetically.

“Come here, mate” he pulled Loki close for a hug, which Loki returned quite desperately, breathing deeply. “I know, it’s horrible. He’s caught me a few times too. I know how bad it is” 

“What? Loki, what happened?” Tony asked desperately. “Who’s the ogre?”

The pool lad answered for him. “He’s some massive guy, looks like a troll. He doesn’t get much luck himself, but he comes here to try it sometimes. He picks on people smaller than him - which is most people, really - and people that are on their own. He’ll corner you and stick his tongue down your throat. He’s strong as an ox, too. Bouncers are the only people who can best him” 

“What kind of scumbag-” he took a deep breath. “The bastard”

The pool boy gave Loki one last squeeze and let him go. “He doesn’t come here very often, cos it never ends well. You were just unlucky”

“I always am” Loki said, still feeling very shaken up.

“You’re allowed to cry, you know. I did” the pool lad said. “I’ll go and get you a drink, ok?”

Loki nodded. “Thank you”

Tony made Loki sit back down and gave him a hug. “I won’t let that happen to you again. I promise”

The pool lad returned a few minutes later. He handed Loki a drink.

“Kiss your fella” he said. “It’ll help”

“I’m not sure I feel like it” he looked at Tony. “No offence”

“None taken”

-

Loki soon started to feel better as he got talking to the pool lads and Tony’s new friend in the alcove. They were all surprisingly easy to talk to, and they didn’t linger on the topic of what had just happened, so it was quickly pushed to the back of Loki’s mind. 

Over the course of the night, other’s joined them, and other’s left, keeping a good stream of new conversation flowing. Tony eventually had to stop Loki, who was going a little overboard on the alcohol, and at around 2am, Loki cuddled up to him and said he was hungry.

“What do you fancy?”

Loki thought for a minute, his head on Tony’s shoulder. “Chicken nuggets”

Tony nodded at the pool lads. “Here, we’re gonna head to McDonald’s if you fancy joining us”

“I’m gonna hang about” one of them said. “Thanks though”

“I’ll come” the one who had hugged Loki said. “Could murder a McChicken”

Tony ruffled Loki’s hair. “Come on then, little lollipop. Lets make a move”

Loki stood up, stumbled, and had to be caught by the pool guy. 

“Whoops! You ok?”

Loki merely laughed, putting an arm round his shoulders and kissing his cheek. 

Tony took Loki’s other hand. “I should take that as a yes”

-

-

**The Time That Caused Confusion**

Loki and Tony fully embraced the night life, soon phasing the PostBox out of their routine and going straight to Location every night out. They’d grown to be friends with some of the regulars, and recognised many others. They spent the majority of their nights in the alcoves, and as time went on, out in the garden. Tony (and many others) tried to drag Loki onto the dance floor at least once every night out. Loki was still nowhere near confident dancing, but he had his little side-stepping go-to dance for when a song he knew came on, and found if he copied other people to a degree, and sang along, he could get away with being skill-less. People were there to have fun, not look good (although many of them did anyway). Loki grew to immensely enjoy his nights out, even though Tony teased him like mad every time he got off with someone (which made it a very regular occurrence). Tony loved watching Loki let go and interact with people. He loved blending in to the crowd and ending the nights in McDonald’s with new-found friends and then going home in a taxi with Loki under his arm. Everything was good.

-

Tony gave Loki a nudge. “Who are you looking at?”

“Those two guys... I keep seeing them. We keep smiling at each other. They’re cute...” Loki turned to Tony. “They keep moving about though. Should I talk to them?”

“That’s up to you, darling” Tony said. 

“I think they might be together. I think I should ask them though, to be sure. Even if they are - and I’m fairly certain of it - I’d still like to tell them they’re cute” He looked back over, sighing to see they’d moved again. “I hope they come back”

“Mm. We’ll see” Tony touched a hand to Loki’s forehead. “You’re getting very warm again. Do you want to step outside for a bit?”

Loki nodded, draining his drink. “Might be an idea”

-

They went outside, and were greeted by the pool lad, now a good night-out friend.

“Hey Loki!” 

Loki grinned, giving him a hug. “Hey you”

“Loving the new shoes: very snazzy! Present from the sugar daddy?”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Every time(!)”

The pool lad smiled, offering his cigarettes and lighter to Loki, who accepted. He sat down under the awning, blowing out the smoke and watching it swirl in the air in front of him. Tony and the pool lad sat down on either side of him.

“Good drinks offers on tonight” the pool lad said. “I can afford to buy you both one if you like”

“Thanks, but I’m set” Tony said, lifting his near-full beer glass.

“I’m not. Mine’s an Archers and lemonade” Loki said.

“Sure thing, chick. Won’t be long”

He went back inside, and Loki leant against Tony. 

“Have you got the time?” 

Tony checked his watch. “Coming up for half twelve. Where’s your phone?”

“Pocket”

Tony returned to his drink, watching the girls opposite them until the pool lad returned, handing Loki his drink and taking his place back beside him.

They stayed outside for a long while, laughing and drinking and smoking. The smoking area was always very social, and they had lots to talk about with lots of different people. Loki was verging on hammered, leaning heavily on Tony. It wasn’t until Loki started shivering that Tony was prompted into action. 

“Here, I think our alcove is still free. Let’s go back inside. Ok, pet?”

Loki nodded. “Sounds good. It’s not so warm tonight”

They said goodbye to the pool lad and went back inside, climbing back into the alcove and curling up in the cushions. Loki hadn’t seen the cute couple again, and was a little disheartened by it, but decided it didn’t really matter.

“Bottles are one-fifty tonight, right?”

Tony nodded. “Yeah”

Loki took the exact change from his wallet. “I’ll be back in a minute”

-

Loki was a little surprised when the bottle he’d chosen turned out to not be included in the nights deals, but it had already been opened, so it was too late to swap. 

“Oh. Uh” he gave the bartender the change he had. “I’ll be back in a minute”

He went back to Tony.

“Only went and picked the one bottle not in the deal, didn’t I?” he grabbed his wallet and returned to his place at the bar. 

He noticed the short haired guy from the couple he’d had his eye on beside him. He opened his wallet, and the bartender handed him back the change he’d already given, gesturing to the short haired guy. 

“He’s got it”

“Oh” Loki turned to him. “Thank you...”

The guy held up his bank card and smiled, turning and completing the transaction with the bartender. Once done, he turned back, moving a shot glass with a bright green liquid closer to Loki. Loki didn’t know what it was, but copied the guy and downed the shot. He put the little cup down and picked up the bottle. The guy smiled at him, gesturing towards the back and then holding up two fingers, indicating that he’d soon join him. Loki smiled nervously, thanked him again, and skirted round him, going back to the alcove and climbing up beside Tony. 

“Oh my god, they’re coming over. Pretend I’m cool”

Tony laughed at him, and the guy who’d bought the drink walked in, closely followed by his long-haired friend. They came over, and Loki shifted to the edge of the alcove to greet them, soon standing up and leaning against the edge, forgetting about Tony.

-

They talked at length, all three getting along famously. Loki managed to ask if they were an item, and was a little relieved to find they were just long-term friends. They were both unbelievably cute, but Loki was oddly drawn to the short-haired one, who was quite full-on and tough, but not in a threatening way. Eventually, the long haired guy said he wanted another drink. His friend declined. Loki still had half his mango WKD left, but the offer was pushed, so he asked for an amaretto and coke. The guy went off to the bar, leaving Loki and his friend. 

“You are  _really_  cute” the guy said. 

Loki smiled. It had been said quite a few times during their conversation. He looked away, soon noticing the eyes the other man was giving him. He was nervous, and felt a little sick in the back of his throat, but he managed to look back at him.

“You know, we can - we can kiss. If you’d like to” 

The guy moved closer, inches away from him, smiling. “Yeah?”

For a moment it felt like it wouldn’t happen, but then their lips were together. Rough. The guy grabbed at Loki, leaning back against the window, pulling Loki tight against him. He was rough, forcing his tongue, and Loki wasn’t sure he liked that. He closed his eyes to avoid having to see the people in the garden on the other side of the glass, trying to kiss back with enthusiasm. The mans hands weren’t shy, grabbing his backside, stroking his thighs and hips, running them up his back and over his arms before returning downwards. His touch was anything but gentle, but it still sent shivers up Loki’s spine and left a strange tingling sensation on his skin. 

Loki broke away from the kiss, and the man instead kissed the edge of his mouth, his jaw, and his neck - and Loki stopped, hoping for more, but the man quickly tried to return to his mouth, and Loki rested his chin against his shoulder to avoid it. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling. Was he enjoying it? He wasn’t sure about the whole tongue thing. Plus, he had the sick feeling in his throat - he’d had so much to drink, and he feared it was taking its toll. The man still had both hands on his arse, and Loki couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated. He’d kissed many people in the club before, but none of them had been so forward and confident and forceful before. 

“And here I was thinking you liked my friend more than me”

Somewhat feeling like it was what he was supposed to do, he allowed another snog, returning it too, until they were interrupted by the long-haired friend returning. 

“I can leave if I’m interrupting?” he said, quirking an eyebrow.

“No, it’s ok” Loki said, happy to be released and able to accept the drink he’d just been bought. “Thank you”

Loki didn’t really see how it happened, but the bottle that had been resting on the pool table got knocked off. Luckily not much spilt, and the bottle didn’t smash. Loki tried to laugh, taking the bottle when the friend picked it up for him, even though it meant he got sticky WKD on his hands. 

“We’re gonna go dance for a bit, if you want to join us?”

“Oh, I’m not much of a dancer”

“Come and join us later then”

-

Loki watched them go and climbed back into the alcove. Tony looked at him.

“What?”

“You had your tongue right down his throat!”

“You didn’t feel it from my end!” Loki spat defensively. 

“You had him pinned up against a wall”

“Call it role reversal” He knew how it must have looked, but the other party was definitely in control the whole time. “Not as much of a virgin as you thought”

Tony laughed at him. Loki wasn’t happy.

“Well, I came out to get pissed and get snogged, and I’ve done that now”

“And all before 2am” Tony laughed.

-

Loki was just washing his hands in the bathroom when the couple reappeared. They dragged him onto the dance floor. The short haired guy let loose with such blind confidence - almost arrogance. Loki still liked the look if him, but couldn’t help feeling a bit out of his depth with the whole situation. He tried to back down but they wouldn’t let him. He didn’t know the song that was playing, so he was very awkward about dancing to it. The lights were flashing in a mode that made everyone look like they were moving in frames, something he’d always found disorientating. It didn’t help his nerves at all. He held back, and was immensely relieved when the next song started - he knew this one.

Loki allowed himself to stop caring so much, reviving his go-to dance. Luckily he knew the lyrics, so could sing and shake along with some level of comfort. 

The next song was another unknown one, and Loki was feeling very crowded and out of breath, so flopped on a nearby seat, breathing deeply. The short haired guy went off to the bar, returning with a cup of water, which Loki gratefully accepted.

“Are you ok?”

Loki nodded. “Just a bit out of breath”

Once he started to feel a bit better, he took out his phone to take a couple of pictures of the dance floor. He looked nervously at his current company, who were watching, and stood up to take a few selfies before sitting down again. As he did so, the short haired guy went to take his phone. Thinking he wanted to see the photos, Loki opened his camera roll, only for the phone to be taken from him. He watched as the short haired guy went into his contacts and added his mobile number and name.

Oliver.

Loki pocketed his phone once it was handed back. Oliver leant close to him.

“Do you want to go back to your friends?”

Loki nodded.

-

Loki climbed back into the alcove. Tony acknowledged him with a brief glance, but was deep in conversation with the pool boy. Loki kept swallowing. His pulse was racing, and he wasn’t sure what he was feeling. Scared? Intimidated? Excited? Swept off his feet? Nothing seemed to fit.

It was a mere matter of moments before Oliver and his friend reappeared. Oliver had his phone out, coming over and asking Loki for his number.

“I don’t know it” Loki said.

Oliver didn’t push it. “You can delete mine if you want: I won’t be upset. But I’d like you to call, if you want to”

He took Loki’s hand. Loki held it, looking at the rings on his fingers, swallowing hard.

“I’ll think about it...”

Oliver smiled - sadly, Loki thought. He let go and went off through the door to the garden with his friend, not looking back once. Loki watched, his unidentifiable feelings suddenly intensifying. He was still feeling a little bit sick, confused with drunkenness. He rested his head on Tony’s shoulder. Tony was still talking with his friend, not paying attention to anything else. 

Oliver and his friend passed through the room again, neither of them looking over. Loki felt like he might cry, and he wasn’t sure why. He felt safe against Tony, if a little disconnected from him. He still couldn’t think straight or figure out his feelings properly. He even felt a bit scared at the prospect of being near the two again, and he wasn’t quite sure why that was either. Oliver and his friend reappeared, going back outside, again not looking over. 

Not really thinking, Loki pushed himself up from the alcove and followed. The night was cold, but he didn’t really notice. He followed up the steps to the platform he’d always noticed but never been on. Oliver was sat at one of the round tables with a big group, but Loki didn’t care. Oliver looked up, looking surprised but happy to see him. 

“Hey you...”

Loki hugged him tight. 

“Aww, come here” Oliver pulled Loki down into his lap, holding him tight. 

Loki clung to him, chin resting on his shoulder. He could see Oliver’s friend talking to someone else on the table behind, but mostly he kept his gaze down, looking at the wooden slats.

Eventually he found his voice.

“I’m sorry. I’m just not...” he was quiet for a considerable amount of time. “Confident, I guess”

“It’s ok. Really, don’t worry”

They did talk, but it was hard going. Loki kept his eyes on the ground, finding it helped not having to look him in the face. 

“Hey, are you ok?” Oliver asked.

Loki was shaking. “Yeah; it’s just not very warm out here”

“Here” Oliver wrapped his jacket round Loki’s shoulders and resumed the hug.

Loki couldn’t help thinking how funny it was that he fit so well in his lap. He was starting to feel a little more comfortable.

“I know the plan was to stay till lights up” he began. “But, do you want to call it a night? Go to McDonald’s, and then the taxi rank..?” 

“Ok. I’ll have to bring my friend though, if that’s ok?”

Loki sat back and nodded. Oliver smiled at him. Loki stood up.

“I’ll have to say goodbye to my friends” Loki said. 

“Of course” Oliver talked to his friend, getting him on board while Loki stood close by, holding the jacket round his shoulders.

Once the idea was accepted, they went back inside with Loki. Everyone from the alcove had congregated by the pool table.

“Um, we’re gonna call it a night. Go to McDonald’s and then get a taxi” Loki said. 

The pool lad gave him a big hug.

“Ok. My boyfriends still working, so I’m gonna hang about. Stay safe” he let go and turned to Oliver and his friend. “Make sure you look after him”

Oliver nodded. “We’ll make sure he gets in the taxi”

Tony squeezed Loki’s shoulder. “I’m coming too. Ok?”

-

Once they were outside in the dim summer night, Loki took Oliver’s hand. They walked along together, Oliver and his friend talking, and Loki joining in with nervous enthusiasm. He was finding it hard to take his eyes off Oliver. He basically forgot Tony was there at all.

“Do you know where you’re going?” Oliver’s friend asked. “I know where McDonald’s is, but from here? Not a clue”

“It’s ok; I know where we go from here” Loki said. “It’s not far”

-

It wasn’t too busy inside, just a few other people who had finished in the clubs milling about. Loki checked his phone. 3.10am. 

He and Oliver kept talking in the queue. Tony sparked up easy conversation with Oliver’s friend, not that Loki noticed. 

“I’ve got this” Oliver said when it was their turn.

“Are you sure?” Loki said, pausing with his wallet.

“Yeah. What do you want?”

“Oh, um, double cheeseburger and a small sprite, please”

While they were waiting for it, they kept talking, referencing the nights events obscurely. 

“...and just if there’s anything you’d like to do”

“Well, just don’t stick your tongue down my throat again” As soon as he’d said it, Loki worried it might be the wrong thing to say, but there was no taking it back.

Oliver didn’t seem too bothered:- he just kept smiling at him, looking at him with the same eager look he’d been giving him all night.

-

Once he’d finished eating, Loki excused himself for a comfort break. Tony gave him a couple of minutes and followed suit.

“Hey. You ok?”

Loki looked at him. The lights in the toilets seemed very bright. He didn’t know how he was feeling, so he didn’t say anything. Tony gave him a sympathetic smile and a quick hug. 

“You look like you’re ready for your bed”

“You might be right there” Loki offered a small smile. “It’s been a bit of a night”

Tony rubbed his arm. He wasn’t quite sure what had Loki so distracted. 

-

Oliver and his friend walked with them to the taxi rank, Oliver hand in hand with Loki. Once they reached the door, Loki gave Oliver back his jacket. They stayed on the street while Loki and Tony went in and asked the man behind the desk for the taxi.

“Number 92, silver Mercedes. Be with you in a minute”

“Thank you” Tony said.

They stepped back onto the street, and the car pulled up beside them. They turned to Oliver and his friend. Tony smiled and said goodbye, but he hadn’t talked to them huge amounts so didn’t feel like hugging. He opened the car door, watching as Loki hugged Oliver first, and then his friend.

“Like I said, you can delete my number if you want. I won’t get upset” Oliver said. “But ring me if you want to”

He took Loki’s hand. 

“I’ll think about it” Loki repeated his earlier words.

Their hands lingered for a moment. Tony tapped him on the shoulder.

“Let’s not keep the driver waiting too long, ok?” he said gently.

Loki let go of Oliver’s hand and climbed into the back of car, shifting over to the left hand side. Tony got in beside him and closed the door, confirming the name with the taxi driver.

Loki didn’t look out of the window until the car was halfway down the street. He sat back heavily, closing his eyes for a moment. He could sense himself being watched, and looked over at Tony.

“Ok?”

Loki nodded, taking Tony’s hand. He didn’t say anything.

-

Loki didn’t say another word that night. He stripped off and cuddled up against Tony in bed, feeling the room spinning in the juddery way it always did when he was drunk. He willed himself to sleep, and eventually did. 

The next day left him drowning in thoughts and still unidentifiable feelings. He stayed at Tony’s very distracted, but by the evening his thoughts had started to clear a little. Tony found him on the bed, staring at his phone. He sat down beside him, looking at the screen and seeing Oliver’s contact details. 

“Do you need to talk?”

Loki told him everything, even the things Tony had witnessed, just so he could give him a picture of his side of the story. He talked unreservedly and at length, and eventually things felt a lot clearer. 

Loki and Tony looked at the phone, Oliver’s number still on the screen.

“It’s up to you” Tony said. “It’s your decision”

Loki looked at him. Tony was like no one he’d ever known before. He’d listened to Loki ramble on, he’d given him advice and help, and today was only one in a long string of such times. Loki loved him so much. He was his boyfriend.

Loki clicked the drop down menu on the contact, his thumb hovering over the options for a moment - and pressed delete. He let out a sigh of relief and threw his phone a few feet away on the bed. Tony smiled at him and took his hand. Loki leant against him, nuzzling noses with him.

Everything suddenly felt clear again.

-

-

**The Time That Opened That Door**

“Right, I need to sit down!” Tony said into Loki’s ear, and flopped down on a chair by the dance floor. 

Loki sat down beside him, grabbing their fishbowl. They had a long drink together and set it on the table, leaning against each other while they caught their breath. Uptown Girl started playing, and Loki’s face lit up and he stood up, holding a hand out to Tony.

“Dance with me!”

“I’m still catching my breath!”

Loki rolled his eyes, but stayed with Tony, doing his little shaky go-to dance, singing along with accompanying hand gestures. He acted it out in a more over the top fashion than usual, trying to get Tony to laugh - and quickly succeeding. As much as he loved Loki’s funny little dances, Tony tried to put a stop to it, pulling him back down beside him.

Loki let it happen, but kept dancing in his seat, adding more exaggerated gestures to make up for lost movement. Tony couldn’t help laughing fondly at him. He couldn’t hear Loki over the music, but even then, he could tell he was word-perfect.

Billy Joel was followed by The Proclaimers, and Tony let Loki pull him up this time and danced with him. He couldn’t help loving that it was always so-bad-that-it’s-good music that got the best reactions out of him.

Loki was dancing facing Tony, not looking where he was going, and backed into someone. Luckily the man just grinned and spun Loki round, grabbing his hand and dancing and singing with him. Tony took a moment to lean against the nearby table and watch, quite glad he didn’t have to keep up with dancing again just yet, seeing as Loki was distracted.

Once the song was over, the man gave Loki a quick kiss on the cheek and went off with his friends. Loki didn’t know the next song, so went back to Tony. He looked worn out after his little performance. Tony leant close to him.

“You look like you need another drink!”

“So do you!”

They sat back down, and Loki retrieved what remained of their fishbowl. They finished it off together and sat back quietly for a while. Loki kept his eyes on the dance floor, tapping his foot on the footrest and his fingers on his knee in time to the music. He leant close to Tony for a moment.

“I know you think it’s cheesy, but I love this kind of music!”

He sat back, grinning, offering a wave to a passing friend. He closed his eyes for a moment, still tapping and nodding away, giving in to the urge to sing. Tony watched him. He looked so happy, his cheeks flushed from the heat of the club and from all the booze he’d had. Loki could sense himself being watched, so opened his eyes and looked over at Tony, who just smiled. Wow. His perfectly lined eyes made him look even more striking than usual. He took a deep breath.

“I’m ready to do it”

Loki only caught part of that, and looked at him, confused. “What?”

Tony put a hand on the back of Loki’s neck, pulling him close. He rested his cheek against Loki’s, closing his eyes for a moment.

“I want to make love to you”

Loki was surprised. He didn’t know what to say at first. He looked at what he could see - the lights flashing, the people dancing and drinking, the bar photographer walking round. He took a deep breath.

“Ok”

Tony pulled back, hand still on Loki’s neck. “Ok?”

Loki nodded. “Ok”

He stood up, taking Tony’s hand. Tony stood up too, surprised, and scared - but excited too. He followed Loki eagerly, letting go of his hand in favour of wrapping an arm round his waist.

-

They didn’t say much in the taxi home. Soon they were back in Tony’s bedroom. The club felt a long way away. Loki sat on the bed, and Tony sat beside him, keeping a bit of distance between them. He spent a while just looking at him.

“You are allowed to touch me, you know” Loki said, starting to feel a little nervous.

“Yeah... sorry” 

Tony reached out and stroked Loki’s hair back behind his ear, hesitating for a moment before kissing him. Loki was very relieved, and happy to return the favour. It wasn’t long before Tony had pushed Loki down onto his back, kissing him roughly, holding him tight. 

Loki pulled away from the kiss.

“How do you want to do this?”

“I-uh” Tony could feel himself blushing. “Can I do it to you?”

Loki nodded, although that wasn’t what he’d meant. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“In theory, yeah” he sat back on his heels. “I mean, I’ve- I’ve done some reading and stuff. So theoretically, yeah”

Loki sat up, stroking Tony’s face. “Don’t look so nervous” 

“You’re one to talk”

Loki just smiled. “You used to be a playboy, remember? You’ll do fine. You know I’ll tell you if something feels wrong or bad”

Tony nodded. “You still sure about this? You sure it’s ok?”

“Definitely. Just tell me how you want me”

Tony smiled, still nervous with anticipation. “Lets get naked”

Loki stripped down to his underwear, biting his lip as he watched Tony undressing. He looked quite urgent about it. Loki’s heart was hammering. Tony gave him a nod as he stood before him.

“And the rest of it”

Loki swallowed. Tony smiled, grabbing him and stripping him completely. Loki’s heart thumped harder still, and Tony’s was much the same. Tony opened the drawer on the bedside table, getting out a condom and bottle of lube. It suddenly felt very real.

“Is there anything you want to do?” Tony asked. 

“Huh?”

“You know, foreplay-wise”

“Oh. Uh... Not really. Just - just kissing, I think. You know what I like” he swallowed. “You’ll go slow, won’t you?”

Tony nodded. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Just nervous”

“Me too” he stroked Loki’s hair gently. “We’ll go slow. I’ve never done this before, remember? So whatever position you’re comfortable with. It’s supposed to be nice, not scary”

“I know. I know it’ll be nice. It’s just a big step” 

“I know” he kissed Loki’s forehead. “Why don’t you get yourself comfortable?”

“Yeah, ok”

Loki adjusted the pillows, making something of a nest for himself on the right of the bed. He wasn’t sure what Tony was expecting of him, so tried to think less about what might look better, and more about what would be comfortable. He settled down on his back, legs parted so Tony could fit between them. 

“You’re so beautiful, lolly”

Tony took his place on top of Loki on the bed, kissing him hard. Loki wrapped his arms round him, feeling a lot less nervous as Tony started kissing down his neck. He squirmed, laughing a little. He still felt fuzzy from drink. Tony returned to his lips, and Loki couldn’t help thinking how beer tasted much better on Tony. 

Tony felt unsteady from nerves and drink, but mainly nerves. He could taste rum in Loki’s kiss. He could smell the cigarettes and smoke from the club on him, and pulling back, he could see the look of happiness and love in Loki’s eyes, and all of these things made him all the more enticing.

Things progressed quickly, and Tony’s hold on Loki changed. He grabbed his wrist in one hand, and his thigh in the other. Loki was suddenly back to feeling very nervous indeed. Him and Tony had played together in the bedroom before, quite intensely, but this felt like something else entirely. It was all a bit scary and exciting.

“I love you” Tony kissed him, his breath hot against his skin. “I love you so much”

“I love you too” he pulled his hand free from Tony’s grip, hugging him tight. “I really do”

“Are you ready for this?”

“Yeah. I’m ready” 

Tony sat back, opening the condom expertly with his teeth. Loki suddenly found he didn’t want to watch this bit, and he closed his eyes, trying to calm his breathing. He could feel his pulse all over. He was so nervous his stomach hurt, but he really did love Tony, and he really wanted to share this with him. 

His eyes snapped open as Tony resumed his position, parting Loki’s legs further, grabbing his thigh and pulling him closer, readying himself. 

“Wait”

Tony stopped. “What’s up, baby?” 

“I’m fine. I just need a second” he took a few deep breaths, in through his nose and out through his mouth. 

Tony rubbed his legs gently, breathing fairly heavily himself. After a few moments, Loki looked back at him properly, and nodded.

“Ok. I’m ready”

“Ok darling”

Tony bent and kissed him softly, going slower this time. He kept kissing Loki, whispering sweet nothings to him while he got ready for the main event. He pulled away slightly, smiling down at Loki, who looked up at him with the deep trusting eyes he’d grown so used to. He wanted to watch him while they did this.

Loki found he kept looking down, even though there was nothing to see. He felt small beneath Tony, completely at his mercy. He swallowed hard, breathing heavily. He was getting nervous again, dreadfully so. His stomach kept squeezing and he felt hot all over. Maybe this was how it was supposed to feel, but he couldn’t suppress the panic that rose in his chest when Tony grabbed his arse, pulling him closer still. He'd started to tremble.

“Are you alright?”

Loki offered him a shaky smile and nodded reassuringly. Tony smiled, nuzzling his nose for a moment. 

‘Ok baby’ he mouthed, not quite managing speech.

Loki held his breath, feeling Tony’s cock against him. He forced himself to look Tony in the face, hoping to calm his nerves. He felt sick with anxiety. He knew everything would be ok: just a few more moments and he’d feel so good he’d laugh about feeling scared. But that hurdle...

Tony tilted Loki’s hips, and Loki’s breath caught in his throat for a moment, and he felt the pressure of Tony’s cock increase, and-

“NO, PLEASE STOP!”

Loki’s sudden outburst made Tony jump, and he moved off him quickly. Loki sat up, shaking all over. 

“I can’t do it!” his voice was barely above a whisper. He looked at Tony with such guilt. “Oh my god, I can’t do it! I thought I could do it-!”

He covered his mouth with his hands, and Tony was horrified to see that he’d started sobbing.

“H-hey, oh sweetheart, sweetheart. Hey, don’t cry!”

“I’m sorry!” Loki cried. “I thought I was ok. I’m so sorry!”

“Hey, hey, it’s ok, sweetheart!” Tony felt a little panicked. He pulled Loki close, and Loki held him tight and cried into his shoulder. “Hey. You’ve got nothing to be sorry for”

“I wanted to, I swear I did. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I can’t do it. I know you wanted it. I’m sorry”

“Stop saying sorry. It’s absolutely fine. I promise it’s absolutely fine” Tony kissed his shoulder. “So you’re not ready yet. That’s fine. We don’t have to do anything until you’re absolutely ready. We’re not in a rush”

Loki pulled back slightly, looking at him. “You’re not angry?”

“Why would I be angry?”

Loki looked away. Tony grabbed a nearby blanket, wrapping it round Loki, and pulled another over his lap. 

“I'm not angry. And I’m not annoyed or upset. I promise you that” he held Loki’s hand tight. 

“I feel so guilty”

“Well, don’t. You don’t owe me anything. You don’t need to feel guilty, or ashamed, or upset, or anything like that. You’re not ready for it, and there’s no good in pushing yourself into something you’re not ready for. Sex isn’t that important. We’ve had plenty of fun in here before without it, haven’t we?” 

A sad smile tugged at Loki’s lips momentarily. He nodded.

“So, if you’d like to, we can just stick with that for a bit. Maybe in a week or two, we’ll be ready for something heavier. And maybe it’ll take a few months. Or maybe we’ll never be ready. But if that’s alright with you” he kissed Loki’s cheek. “Then it’s alright with me too”

-

They got dressed again and had a long cuddle, both feeling a lot more relaxed and a lot better overall. 

“What time is it?”

Tony checked his watch. “It’s only half one”

Loki sat up. “It’s Saturday, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Our bar doesn’t close until five tonight”

“You want to go back out?”

Loki nodded. “Just for a little bit. And only if you want to”

Tony smiled, sitting up too. “Ok. Get your shoes on”

*


End file.
